Back in May, I wrote an article for my blog View From My Loft, the article Legendary Badass Bikers (https://daneladwig.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/legendary-badass-bikers/) is my perspective of what constitutes a “biker” and the biker lifestyle. Within a day of posting the article, I was receiving praise and encouragement. One enthusiastic reader said, “This should be published!” I thought, Well it is published. When I posted it on my blog, it was published.
This past week I was notified that the article was indeed published once again in Midwest Sports Review (http://midwestsportsreview.com/motorcyclesall-shapes-and-speeds/). After accessing the reasons why I did not submit the article for publication in the first place, and why I decided to post it to my blog, to my surprise, this is what I came up with…
Most authors would get their underwear all in a tizzy if their work had been published without “written consent and authorized approval.” Legal departments at conventional publishing houses would have a field day with unauthorized published work. As far as I am concerned, at this juncture in my writing career, it is an honor to be considered worthy of a mention, on any platform. Perhaps, if I ever reach the status of such greats as Stephen King, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, or J.K. Rowling, I may desire to protect my work a bit closer, but for now, publish away!
So why didn’t I submit the article for publication first, or the sixty-five other articles I have written and posted to my blog? It’s simple. My blog is my outlet, nothing more than a place I go to rant and rave, adore and admire, post and review. It sounds bad, but I do not put much thought or labor into my blog postings, I just ramble and write about what is on my mind at the particular time. That day it just happened to be about the origin and history of Legendary Badass Bikers.
I have written a about myriad of topics and people have said that is why they appreciate my blog, “it offers versatility”. The blog is my escape from the monotony of writing my manuscript and it offers me an escape from the daily doldrums, which causes many authors to contract writers block. If I am facing a moment when I am at a loss for words, and I feel I am not productive or my manuscript seems monotonous, I switch gears and head to my blog – like now – and I begin writing about something totally unrelated to my manuscript. It gets me back on track and this tactic has not failed me yet!
I started my blog one year ago. It generates approximately 1200 views a month (give or take). I have 200 subscribers who follow my blog via email. I try to post a new article every two to three days. I am very satisfied with the feedback I have received and more elated over the interest my blog creates. I really do not comprehend, in this high-tech fast-paced computerized day and age, how a writer, such as me, could not maintain a blog; it offers such a great platform for honing your writing skills and it also gives you plenty of contact with an audience and a place to exhibit your work.
I don’t believe I will ever submit my blog articles for publication, as they are meant for the (free) viewing of the audience they generate. To me, offering my articles (free of charge) to the interested viewer is very important, because it helps me to remember where I came from. I could be the wealthiest author in history, and you will still be able to read my blog, no charge, no fee, no hidden charges or twists. After all, if not for my readers, I would just be, as I am now, another starving artist trying to make his or her mark on society.
Good Reads My Friends…
